For when you want someone senior steering your search strategy, but you don’t need them five days a week.
Most businesses don’t need a full-time Head of SEO/AEO. What they need is senior judgement and experience to set the strategy, make the priority calls, and keeping developers and agencies pointed in the right direction.
A fractional SEO/AEO Director gives you director-level leadership inside your team for a few days a month, at a fraction of the cost of a senior hire. And because your customers now search on Google and ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Mode, you want someone who can cover both your SEO and AEO.
Charles Coxhead
Partner at Relevance & Intent
I’ve been practicing SEO since the early 2000s, in New Zealand, Australia, the US and China, for brands like Air New Zealand, Trade Me, The Warehouse and most recently Huawei, Ant Group and Insta360. I’ve run multiple agencies, which has meant a lot of hiring and building teams, and these days my focus is both SEO and AI search.
What is a fractional SEO/AEO Director?
A fractional SEO Director is a senior search specialist who works inside your business part-time, usually a set number of days a month. They own the strategy and lead the work, but you’re not paying for a full-time executive.
works for you
On a defined scope, from the outside, delivering a list of tasks.
works with you
As part of your team. In the meetings where decisions are made, answering to your goals, not a billing target.
Is a fractional right for you?
If one or more of these situations sounds familiar, it probably makes sense. Tap the ones that apply to you:
Nothing ticked yet. Pick any that sound like your business.
Call me to talk it through: (021) 807 829Fractional SEO director vs. full-time hire, agency or consultant
Each option has its place. Here’s how they compare:
| Criteria | Fractional SEO director | Full-time SEO hire | SEO agency | Freelance SEO consultant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seniority | Director level, 15+ years | Depends on the budget | A mix, depending on the account | Usually senior |
| Where they sit | Inside your team | Inside your team | Outside, working to a scope | Outside, on a project |
| Commitment | A few days a month, 3-month minimum | Permanent salary, recruitment, leave and overheads | Monthly retainer, often 6–12 months | One project |
| Owns the strategy | Yes | Yes | Shared within their scope | Advises then hands over |
| Manages agencies & developers | Yes | Yes | No they’re the supplier | Rarely |
| Upskills your team | Yes as part of the role | Over time | Rarely | Sometimes a one-off workshop |
| Covers SEO & AI search | Yes both | Depends on the person | Depends on the agency | Depends on the person |
| Scales up or down | Month to month, after 3 months | Hard | Usually tied to the contract | Fixed scope |
A full-time hire makes sense once SEO needs someone every day. An agency makes sense when you need lots of hands. A fractional lead makes sense when you need senior judgement, direction and accountability.
What a fractional SEO & AEO Director does for you
Owning the roadmap
One prioritised plan for organic search and AI visibility, tied to revenue rather than rankings for their own sake.
Making the calls
Deciding what to do first, what to stop doing, and what isn’t worth doing at all.
Being in the room
Joining product, web and marketing meetings so SEO is part of the decision, not a fix afterwards.
Guiding your developers
Writing clear requirements and reviewing releases before they ship, not after the traffic has dropped.
Managing your agencies
Briefing them, checking their work and making sure you get value from the spend.
Upskilling your team
Training your marketers, writers and developers so good SEO becomes part of how they work.
Reporting to leadership
Explaining what’s happening, why it matters and what it’s worth, in language your board will follow.
When you need specialist depth
Some problems need deep hands-on expertise. When they come up, I either do the work myself or bring in the wider Relevance & Intent team:
Building your in-house SEO/AEO team
For many businesses, fractional is the first step towards an in-house team, not the end point. I can set the strategy, then help you build the team to deliver it.
I’ve hired a lot of SEO people while running agencies. It’s taught me how to spot the difference between someone who can talk about SEO and someone who has actually done it.
- Work out which roles you actually need, and in what order
- Write job descriptions that attract the right people
- Run technical interviews and practical tests
- Onboard new hires with a clear plan and priorities
- Step back once your team can run it, or stay on as an adviser
Why your SEO and AEO should have one lead
AI assistants build their answers from search results, so your SEO foundations and your AI visibility are closely linked. When they’re managed by different people with different plans, you end up with gaps, duplicated effort and two lots of reporting that don’t agree.
As your fractional SEO and AEO Director, I run both under one roadmap. Your technical fixes, content and PR work for Google and for AI answers at the same time, and you get one view of how your brand is showing up across both.
Want the detail? See how AEO worksHow it works
- 30 minutes
Fit call
A conversation about where you are, what’s getting in the way and whether fractional is the right model. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you.
- Week 1
Agree the scope
We agree the outcomes, the priorities and how many days a month it will take.
- Month 1
Get up to speed
Understanding your site, data, team and suppliers, and producing a prioritised roadmap.
- Ongoing
Lead the work
Part of your team: regular check-ins, decisions made as they come up, and monthly reporting to leadership.
Is fractional the right fit?
The quickest way to find out is a discovery call. Tell me where your search is today, what’s getting in the way and what you’re trying to achieve. I’ll give you an honest view of whether a fractional SEO and AEO director makes sense for you, and what the first three months would look like.
Calling from outside New Zealand? Dial +64 21 807 829.Fractional FAQs
How many days a month will I need?
It depends on the size of your site, how much is changing and how much support your team needs. We’ll agree the number of days during scoping. Many businesses need more time early on, then less once the roadmap is set and the team is up to speed.
What’s the difference between a fractional SEO Director and an SEO consultant?
A traditional SEO consultant typically delivers a project, like an audit, and hands it over. A fractional SEO Director stays on as part of your team, owns the strategy and makes sure the recommendations actually get implemented.
Do you do the hands-on work, or just advise?
Both. The role is mainly leadership and direction, but I’m happy to get my hands dirty on technical problems, audits and analysis. When there’s a lot of work to deliver, the wider Relevance & Intent team can help.
Will you work with our existing agency and developers?
Yes. That’s one of the most valuable parts of the role. I can brief your agency, review their work and make sure your developers understand the SEO impact of what they build, before it ships.
What’s the minimum commitment?
Three months. That gives me enough time to understand your business, set the roadmap and start delivering results. After that, the engagement can scale up or down as your needs change.
Can you help us hire an in-house SEO team?
Yes. I can help you decide which roles you need, write the job descriptions, run technical interviews and onboard new hires. Having hired many SEO people while running agencies, I know how to tell genuine experience from a good CV.
Do you also work as a fractional AEO consultant?
Yes. I lead SEO and AEO together, because AI assistants build their answers from search results. You get one plan for your visibility on Google search and in AI tools like Google AIO, ChatGPT, and Gemini.
Do you work with businesses outside New Zealand?
Yes. Most of my clients are in New Zealand, but I’ve worked across Australia, the US and China, and I can work remotely with teams in any time zone that overlaps with ours.